Requiem for the Protector
by robertkellett
Summary: After the battle, a protector reflects on his life.


Hands. Considered humanity's basic tools they were gifted with. Having the power to create and destory. Standing outside the tower of Yen Sid, Terra looked up at the stars shining in the sky, wondering _who _crated all the worlds. Did they intend for the worlds to splinter off into their own little homes? Or were they meant to be united before the age of fairy tales concluded? Terra didn't know the answer, books weren't exactly his fortey. He looked at his hands, clenching them and checking if the numbness was gone. In thick balled fists, somewhat tanned skin turning white. _No, still numb. _

"You ready?" Terra nodded weakly, not wanting to turn around. Seeing her bright face, his light. _The person I tried to kill. _Sensing Terra was in deep thought, the voice decide to stand next to him, Aqua taking one of his hands. _The hands I had around her neck. _He was going to retreat them, hidding the vile tools away, but her grip was iron clad. As if she needed his touch to rensure this was the realm of light and he was _not _an illusion. "The stars are breathtaking tonight."

"Yeah," Terra replied in a somber tone. His brown eyes looked at his companion. He wanted to say _she _was his star, but decided to not say anything at all. Just squeeze the hand she held. She smiled at him, feeling he answered an unspoken question or thought of hers. "Is Ven okay?"

Aqua frowned for a split second, but her lips formed a thin line before anyone could notice. _I did. _"Yeah, he's healing fine after the battle." _The battle I nearly killed you both in. _Terra frowned at the idea, inkling in his mind, he killed _everyone _during the war. _I might as well have. _"You did great, helping us seal Kingdom Hearts."

"...When I helped open it in the first place." Terra found his voice, guilt oozing out of every word. "You… You sure it's safe… If I return home with you and Ven?" Aqua's blue eyes blinked at the question, with Terra's brown ones boring into hers. "I let the darkness win and… Hurt you both so much. I… I don't know if I can beat it again if it comes back."

Aqua and Terra remained quiet, the latter seeing the former's face having no emotion at all. _Please, I don't want to hurt you again. _To his complete surprise, Aqua hugged him. He froze up at this sudden display of affection. He felt his hands move on their own, slowly touching her back. _No! _He was going to push her away, but her grip on his was ironclad. "I spent ten years in the dark, trying to find my light." She looked up right at him, her blue eyes firm with a conviction. _A promise. _"You are not going into the dark again. And you aren't being alone for a second longer."

The boy's words, Sora's. They escaped her mouth. And he wanted laugh, smile, or merely cry tears of joy like he did upon his reunion with her and Ven. But he _couldn't. _Not when his heart was still fearful. Fearful of his hands. His _tools._ Being used for evil once more. Instead, he just used his numb hands to hold the woman in his arms, praying he won't let the forces that are destiny guide him in the wrong path once more.

She let go, giving him a warm, loving smile. _One I don't deserve. _Aqua slowly walked back into the tower to collect Ven, Terra turned around and saw a ghost. Rather, a figment of his mind that _might as well _be real. Xehanort stood before him, his posture hunched over, eyes inviting.

He said nothing, the figment. Just… Looked at Terra, as if his yellow eyes said everything.

_You are his puppet. _

_You are darkness._

_You are a champion of evil._

_You are not a protector. _

Terra clenched his fist, feeling his Earthshaker materializing in his right hand. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and made a mighty slash. Right through the figment. Terra opened his eyes, body was oddly calm and the furthest thing from tense. Nothing was before him, just the air he was breathing.

Turning around, he saw Aqua and Ven looking at him, both sets of blue looking at his brown with no worry. No fear. Not even a hint of bafflement. Just pure understanding. Making his weapon vanish, Terra slowly walked up to his two friends. Looking down at his hands, he held them out, his brown eyes inviting his friends to take hold. Aqua took his right, and Ven took his left. The three looked up at the sky, one star shining brighter than the rest.

_I will make things right. _


End file.
